I am so fortunate for the opportunity to work with students at Beach, Edgewood, and Shettler Elementary buildings. It is rewarding to work alongside staff, students, and their families to promote academic and social success at school. The best part of my job is being able to see students make even the smallest steps towards their goals.

Children are apt to live up to what you believe of them. It is my personal goal to coach and teach our students to be hard workers in the classroom and in athletics in order to represent the community of Fruitport in a positive way.

It is so fun to get to know all of the kids and their families. Hearing about their day and special events in their lives is such a highlight in my day. I am a noon supervisor at shettler elementary and also have the privilege of working in the office.

Learning and teaching have always been my passion. I firmly believe that every student must be challenged to expand their knowledge and know that I truly love and care for them. My love for teaching began at an early age as I was a helper for my mother during Sunday School at church.

My name is Janelle Duffey and am excited to be the new principal at Shettler Elementary. This is a new adventure in my life and am excited for all that it entails. Let me start with a little background with my career in education.

I consider myself incredibly fortunate to serve Fruitport as a common thread between students, staff members, families, and other agencies within our community. Aristotle’s philosophy that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts certainly rings true in the field of education. From new and innovative lessons being taught in the classroom to a parents or grandparents reading with a child at home, each role is key to the outcome of a child’s educational success. Being mindful of this leaves every reason to believe in the power of building positive relationships between home, school, and community. Together our tomorrows are undeniably stronger.

I started as a bus aide in September of 2013. I have always had a strong desire to help people and when this opportunity came up I thought it would be perfect. Currently, I am working in the Shettler office as the school secretary.

I am so excited to be a third-grade teacher and look forward to building positive relationships with my students. As a teacher, I want to help my students gain the tools they need to be successful academically as well as outside of the classroom. My goal is to make learning fun, interactive and enjoyable for all of my students.

My goal is to provide a safe and caring environment for students where each child can develop independence and a lifelong love for learning. In teaching children how to become responsible for themselves as well as their learning, they will be developing the tools to become successful in life and to believe in themselves.

When I was growing up, my parents were the publishers of a small local newspaper. I remember watching my dad's curiosity about everything in our small town and the excitement that he had preparing the paper each week. Although my dad wasn't a teacher in the conventional sense, he knew that he was educating and teaching his readers all that was happening in the world around them. The goal in my classroom is to create a warm, caring, and positive classroom environment just like the one in which I grew up, where I can engage each child's natural curiosity about his/her world. This type of classroom will enable each child to gain the self confidence needed in order to learn to the best of her/his ability.

From a young age I knew I wanted to a teacher! During high school, I began volunteering at a local elementary. The opportunity helped me realize my passion for working with students with special needs.

I truly believe believe that as a teacher I have the best job in the entire world! I love fostering a love for learning and preparing them for the future. I love the community and family feel that my students bring to a classroom. Each student leaves an imprint on who I am as a person.

I truly love teaching at Fruitport. I believe physical education is designed to develop each child's physical, emotional and social learning. Through exposure to a wide variety of activities, students will gain the necessary knowledge to understand the importance of and make educated decisions around opportunities to achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Growing up with a mother who was also a driven and compassionate teacher, made my career choice extremely clear. At a very young age, I decided that I would reach for and secure that passion too. Helping others reach their full potential through education was my dream!

After all these years of teaching, I still get excited when I see a child's eyes light up when learning something new . I try to cultivate an engaging, appropriate, learning environment where my students will blossom socially and academically. Every child that walks into my classroom has a story, a purpose, and an ability to learn. I believe all children are ”gifted”.

I decided I wanted to be a teacher when I was in second grade, and now I am a second grade teacher. During my elementary school years thru high school, I had many teachers who influenced my life and journey to become a teacher. I loved learning and was motivated to do my personal best by educators who truly cared. My own educational philosophy developed during my years as a student. I believe that all children can learn if they are given a positive, nurturing, and stimulating learning community.

My journey with Fruitport Community Schools began in 1981 when I entered kindergarten. Thirteen years later, when I graduated, I knew that I wanted to become a teacher. Every teacher I had, from kindergarten through twelfth grade, was my inspiration. I dreamt that one day I would work side by side with them giving back to the community that gave me so much.

Prior to starting my career in education I was a PGA golf Professional. I spent several years at the Country Club of Boyne as well as Spring Lake Country Club. During my time as a golf professional I met several individuals who positively impacted my future. Most notably was a man named Jim Flick who taught me that no matter what it is you choose to do in life, continue to learn and be passionate about what you do!

I began my teaching career at Fruitport Community Schools in 2015, as a math interventionist after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics with an emphasis in elementary education from Grand Valley State University. This is my 5th year in the education field, and I am currently teaching elementary STEM and 8th-grade math.